8 Tips and Tricks for Throwing the Ultimate Party

Running out of booze halfway through the party. A guest that’s a picky eater. The inability to find the perfect space. If you’ve ever thrown a party, you know the pitfalls. It’s inevitable. But there is an easier way. Our resident party planner/general manager/lady boss Layne Cruz can help guide you through the process to achieve maximum fun with minimal stress.

Layne works with all concepts under the Agricole Hospitality umbrella to offer an assortment of options for all types of events. Regardless of the party you’re hosting, there are a few things everyone should think about when it comes to a catered affair. Here, Layne offers a few key tips to keep in mind.

A Game Day spread.

Don’t Overdo the Menu

Variety is a good thing, but not too much. You want to streamline the menu and ensure it all ties together.

Don’t Overthink the Bar

You may have one friend who loves chardonnay and another who loves pinot grigio, but you don’t have to cater to everyone’s tastes. I usually suggest one white, one red and a few different kinds of beer, and you’ll have something for everyone.

Revival Market doesn’t have a liquor license, which is a major advantage when hosting an event. I can work with you on a beverage and cocktail menu and will then provide you a list that you can purchase yourself. Onsite, our bartenders will make the drinks and our servers will pour the wine, but you’ve saved a little money by bringing in the booze.

A seated dinner at Revival Market. The market is closed evenings, making it a great spot for on-site events.

Understand How the Guest List Affects the Food

A lot of times, people don’t realize what they’re asking for in terms of food quantities, and it’s my job to help guide them through the process. I need to know whether you’re throwing a seated dinner or a cocktail party. I need to know if the guest list is mostly male or female. I need to know if the group is made of up of big eaters or drinkers. I ask a lot of questions to ensure you have just the right amount of everything.

An outdoor catered event at Revival Market.

Don’t Forget the Obvious

It’s important to have a game plan. If we’re catering an event at your home, make sure there’s enough counter space or a large enough table to display the food. I always talk through the flow of a party with guests so they can map everything out before I arrive to set up.

Diversify the Menu

One of the advantages we have at Agricole is that we can pull menu items from all three of our existing concepts—so you can order tacos from Eight Row, black pepper pasta from Coltivare and a charcuterie display from Revival. You can have all of your favorites at once!

A holiday party can become something magical in the hands of the Agricole team.

Find the Perfect Space

Revival Market is a great space for cocktail parties and smaller seated dinners like rehearsal dinners or milestone birthday parties. Over at Eight Row, the full capacity is around 200. But a lot of the events we’ve done over there have been corporate parties and things of that nature that don’t really need the entire bar. So we can dedicate a space for them and still stay open, which works out for everyone.

A Cuban pig roast with all the trimmings.

Think Outside the Box

We can roast a whole hog at your house! And we can get creative. We’ve done a Cuban-themed pig roast with black beans and coconut rice, and we’ve done an Oktoberfest pig roast with pretzel stations and housemade mustard and beer cheese. It’s such a cool presentation. If you have an idea, we’ll likely be able to execute it.

The perfect wings platter.

Plan Ahead

With football season rapidly approaching, we’ve got your Game Day covered. We’re finalizing our packages now, but we’ll offer a lot of the same items we did last year—sliders, wings, three-foot hoagies. You can pick everything up at Revival, we can drop it off or we can stay and service the party.